ben_editorial@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk Anger as £120 shoes go walking A ROW has broken out between a Bolton mum and her son's school over a pair of stolen shoes.

Mother-of-three Josephine Queen claims her son Carl, 14, was made to stay away from school through no fault of his own, after his £120 shoes were stolen on the school premises.

But officials at Withins School, Breightmet, say they have done everything they can to keep Carl at the school and blame "peer pressure" for the problem.

Trouble flared after Carl's new black suede Rockport boots were taken from changing rooms at the school during a Friday afternoon PE lesson.

"Before the PE lesson Carl was told to put his new shoes in the changing room which would be locked while they were out," claimed Mrs Queen. "But the changing room was not locked and his shoes were stolen. He told the teacher and they did a quick search but nothing was found."

The distraught mum claims that when she asked the school why the police were not informed she was told it would take them too long to arrive.

Mrs Queen admits shelling out for the shoes because they are seen as fashionable among young people but added that they were bought on the understanding that they would last.

Following the theft Carl went into school on Monday wearing trainers but told they were not allowed. "He was offered a pair of shoes from a box of spares the school keeps," said Mrs Queen. "But he was scared he might have fun poked at him or be bullied if he went round the school in the wrong shoes."

Mrs Queen claims that Carl was told to stay away rather than go to school in trainers and work would be sent home for him.

"He has done nothing wrong," said Mrs Queen. "He has done what he was told and his boots were taken. The changing rooms should have been locked but were not. I think the school should make good on what it their mistake."

But Withins headteacher Val Malcolm claims it is Mrs Queen who has decided to keep her son away rather than the school.

"I will not have trainers in the school but we offered a brand new pair of shoes for him to wear," said Mrs Malcolm. "We also offered the family a £50 loan from school funds to buy new shoes but both were refused."

Carl returned to school on Wednesday in a pair of borrowed shoes. Mrs Queen said the offer of a loan was "adding insult to injury".

Mrs Malcolm added that a search was under way for the missing boots.